Sure, the Buffalo Sabres 0-3 start prematurely set them back this season, but they’re 8-5-1 since. So, is it a sign that they have actually played to preseason expectations and that it just took them a month and a half to get there? Well, we can make the case based on a few critical numbers demonstrating what this team was supposed to look like.
Heading into the season, physical play was key, and the Sabres have been hit-or-miss. In last night’s win over the St. Louis Blues, they didn’t outmuscle their opponent but still landed 26 body checks. And overall, they’re smashing opponents 22.7 times per game, telling me they’re still not where they need to be.
One reason is that some new signees like Sam Lafferty have yet to flex their muscle so far. Other factors could just be the overall change in philosophy, but the Sabres have had 17 games and over 40 days of regular season play to figure it out, so it needs to start trending further north.
While the Sabres should be ahead of the curve at this point, it hasn’t stopped them from giving its fanbase recurring migraines so far. I mentioned earlier that the Blue and Gold are a solid 8-5-1 since that rough start, and one reason that’s the case has come from an unlikely, albeit likely, source.
We should have known the Sabres had a “fallback” plan
When the Sabres brought Lindy Ruff back, the last thing I saw coming was a high-octane approach, but that’s what we’re getting. As of Friday morning, they’re seventh in the league with 59 goals, good for 3.47 per game, putting them on track to hit between 284 and 285 through 82 matchups.
Yeah, those high-octane Sabres aren’t just back; they’re two years older with two years more experience. It’s a downer to see Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens falling short of expectations, with just five and seven points, respectively. But the talent general manager Kevyn Adams added in Bowen Byram, Jason Zucker, and Ryan McLeod; they’ve all been among the better points producers on the team.
If impressive players like Zucker help keep the Sabres afloat, this team may ultimately meet all of our expectations. Yeah, the downside is that they, right now, look like they must score four goals a game just to win, but being on the up and up as of November 15th, I’ll say they’re right where I thought they’d be.
A solid, unspectacular team that looks like they’ll at least keep their fans entertained with a potential playoff push. I’m not expecting the Sabres to be any more than that right now, so if they land in a top-four spot in the Atlantic come the first of the calendar year, I’ll honestly say they’ve exceeded my preseason expectations.